Top Indigenous and Government Leaders Convene to Solve Crisis Conditions Through Nation to Nation Summit

AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde, Metis President Clement Chartier, Inuit President and Vice-Chair Natan Obed, Federal cabinet ministers Carolyn Bennett and Jane Philpott, Ontario Minister David Zimmer are among the top leaders participating in a national summit in Ottawa Nov. 27-28 dedicated to achieving a positive way forward for Canada and its Indigenous peoples.

They will be joined by former AFN National Chief Obide Mercredi, former prime ministers Joe Clark and Paul Martin, Senators Murray Sinclair and Gwen Boniface and many others with a shared commitment to establishing a new relationship and partnership. The summit will build on the outcomes from the discussions that emerged from the four previous dialogues in the series.

Recognizing this seminal moment in history, the Institute on Governance (IOG) and Canadians for a New Partnership (CFNP) are hosting the “Characteristics of a Nation-to-Nation Relationship.”

One of the key recommendations advanced by Indigenous leaders during the dialogues to date is to close the gaps between Canadian and Indigenous populations by investing in youth to proved them with hope and a vision for their futures and the futures of their communities.

Some of the key characteristics that emerged over the course of the dialogue sessions in establishing a new relationship with the Crown include:

Indigenous self-government founded in self-determination, legal capacity and access to resources;

The recognition of inherent Aboriginal and Treaty rights, as well as the ability to exercise and implement inherent rights and responsibilities;

Treaty renewal and treaty implementation;

Fiscal arrangements and resources revenue sharing; and closing the social and economic gaps faced by Indigenous peoples.

Nation-to-Nation, Government to Government, Inuit-Crown relationships with Indigenous peoples has been identified as a crucial priority for Canada. The federal government has committed to pursuing such relationships based on recognition, rights, respect, co-operation and partnership with Indigenous people. Indigenous leaders have emphasized that Canada’s sesquicentennial serves as an opportunity for Canada and Indigenous people to complete the story of our coexistence.

Founded in 1990, the Institute on Governance (IOG) is an independent, Canada-based, not-for-profit public interest institution with its head office in Ottawa and an office in Toronto. Our work is marked by independent thought, innovation, collaboration, excellence, and a responsive and principled approach. We are uniquely positioned, as a truly independent, public purpose organization, to fill the need for knowledge, research and advice on good governance. We are a registered charitable organization and governed by a Board of Directors.